BookMarketingBuzzBlog: 2024

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Interview With Author Thomas Cole

1. What inspired you to write this book? My mother and fathers’ parental advice. I grew up in a home-schooled family of seven children (I am number three). People would ask my parents for advice wherever they went. One of their most popular phrases was, “Whatever you do…don’t blink!” They would say this phrase to encourage parents to enjoy the “now” and to never wish time or the season in which they were living in, away.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? I like to call my book a “children’s book for parents.” Through childlike illustrations and simplistic writing, parents are reminded to enjoy every beautifully messy season raising children has to offer. It’s a simple reminder to appreciate the little moments in their child’s life because before you know it, you’ll blink and that moment will be gone.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? My hope and internal desire is to truly encourage parents. Encourage them to see. Encourage them to hear. Encourage them to interact. And encourage them to embrace the everyday life.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? As I said before, the title of my book was inspired by my parents’ advice. However, the cover design was inspired by the moment in life where “becoming a parent” becomes “real.” It’s the moment when the visual picture of being responsible for a human life begins to sink in. Otherwise known as, the ultrasound.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? To quote Nike… “Just Do It.” With all honesty though, that was my inspiration to go for the jump. “Just do it.” So many people, writers, dreamers, fall into the depressing mindset of the “ifs, “wishes,” and “should of.” When in all actuality, the only person who’s stopping you is, you. If I could look all those people, writer, dreamers in the eye and say one thing. I would tell them, “follow peace.” If you have peace with working with a certain publisher, editor, illustrator, or if you have peace about doing it all by yourself then… just do it! Follow where you feel peace and just do it!

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Impersonal writing. I see a large vicinity of nonsense story telling with empty headed characters that project impersonal or unrealistic idealism into the minds and or hearts of the readers. Especially children. I feel as if the industry is slowly losing simple, heartfelt stories that reinforce the reader’s morality and or reality.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Plenty. I have worked in childcare for twelve plus years and have seen the sad, parental decay that our society is facing, not in the future, but now. Parenting has become extremely impersonal, stressful, and tiresome. For example: “If I could just get through this day, I can have my evening.” “If I could just get through this day, I will have my weekend.” “I wish my child would stop crying and grow up already.” “I can’t wait till they graduate, now I can have the house to myself again.” Parents are being taught to survive the seasons of life, instead of enjoying them. These are reasons why I created this “children’s book for parents” to remind them to not miss the season that they’re in, before they miss out on the lifetime.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Honestly, I believe my illustrations and writing reflects one of a child. Which was my intention. Charles Swartz is a huge inspiration of mine. His Charlie Brown comics and characters resemble the simple, heartfelt storytelling that our society is most definitely lacking more than ever.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? The biggest challenge I had to face was fear. Fear of publishers not accepting it. Fear of people not buying it. Fear of putting my heart into something and throwing it out there, never to be appreciate or seen. As a creator, you have to face fear. But the beauty of it all, is the fact that its only fear. It’s only fear. And the easiest way to overcome fear is by not listening to it. Fear tries to keep you from taking the next step, so if you go ahead and take that step… Boom! That level of fear has been defeated and now you’re on to the next level, the next step, the next project.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? I am just homeschooled kid from a big family. My book came to my imagination on the way back from my family’s annual beach vacation. I typed it out on my phone and illustrated it with crayon. It’s simple, sentimental, and genuinely childlike. It was the feeling of fear telling me, “its not good enough.” But it was the Nike in me that was saying, “Just do it.” If you wish to support the “doers” in this world, then I encourage to buy this book and support those who dare to take that next step.

For more information, please see: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whatever-you-dodont-blink-hannah-cole/1144565414

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook. It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

Interview with Author Francis W Vanderwall

1. What inspired you to write this book? The inspiration evolved out of a necessity: leading a prayer group in guided meditation. The results were remarkable hence the inspiration to make these meditations available to a larger audience.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? The book is a manual that can be used by anyone seeking guidance following a yearning for a union with a deeper sensibility yet feeling at a loss as how to achieve that union.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? Meditating, not just reading these works, I hope, will bring a more peaceful equilibrium, a greater confidence, and a more hopeful approach to the daily rigors of life.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The title came to me out of a realization that it ought to state clearly what the book is about; the cover design similarly ought to reflect pictorially the way -- the guided meditations as the tracks -- the meditating itself as resembling a dark tunnel of uncertainty -- the bright light at the end, the resulting joy, peace, and love in hope.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Write only if you believe in the journey, and you believe you have something to say that will elevate, excite, stimulate and bring satisfaction to yourself. Always write for you, then others will benefit.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? The speculation referencing the book publishing world is one of hope. How books will be manufactured will change, is changing, away from the printed page towards electronic reproduction. This will certainly help the trees!

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? My personal life has always been directed inward. As an extrovert I have had to work hard to force myself to pray, to meditate, to become introspective. When I do, I have found the rewards gratifying and humbling. As a Jesuit for 27 years, my career has largely focused on the interior life manifesting in exterior acts of compassion and love. Loving others selflessly is all I really care about. It is the meaning and purpose of my life. It is this longing--because more often than not I do not succeed in this desire--that called me to write this book.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? My writing style is conversational. I write as I speak. Words ought not to obfuscate the meaning but bring it to light. I want my writing to be similar to Thomas Merton, Henri J.M. Nouwen, Anton Chekov, Charles Dickens, Muriel Spark, et.al.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? The challenges I tried to overcome in the writing of this book were laziness, procrastination and seeking distractions.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Most people want to improve themselves in life. This book ought to be a tool to help them do so. It is easy to use methods clearly delineated, the outcome ought to be one of liberation and joy.

About The Author: Dr. Francis W. Vanderwall, M.A., M.Div., PhL., Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor of Theology at Franciscan University as well as a regular Instructor for the Lagniappe Studies program at Louisiana State University as a Professor of Systematic Theology. He earned his M.Div. at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA, and his doctorate in the Psychology of Religion from the Graduate Theological Union. He was in active ministry as a Jesuit for almost 30 years and in Retreat ministry since 1973. He is the author of seven books on spirituality and a video series on prayer, as well as numerous articles dealing with spiritual direction, psychology, Scripture, varieties of prayer and related topics.

His previously published work, Freedom from Fear: a way through the ways of Jesus the Christ, won the Catholic Press Association award in the US and Canada in its category in 2000 and his next book, The Liberating stories of Jesus: Word. Context, reflections (2008) is all about the parables, the very words Jesus used in proclaiming the imminence of the coming of the Kingdom of God. One of his works, The Enduring Quest: a Christian’s attempt to explain other religions, Jesus, and Christian practices: a textbook-(2009) has gone into the international book markets and is being used as a textbook in Colleges.

He taught courses in Theology at the Jesuit Spring Hill College and directed and lead spiritual retreats at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, LA. He has also taught for St. Joseph Seminary College, (St. Ben’s) in Covington, LA.in the Diaconate Formation program and RSI (Religious Studies Institute) for the Baton Rouge Diocese. He has a mandatum from the local Ordinary to teach Theology in Catholic Colleges and Universities. He has served, when invited, on the accrediting agency of Universities and Colleges of the Southern Region of the US (SACS) in Atlanta. He is married to Gloria and lives in Louisiana. For more info, please see: www.franvan.com

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Interview With Author Frank Reinfried Vincenti

1. What inspired you to write this book? — A firm belief that Shakespeare was right when he said, “The past is prologue.”

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? — The coming of age for a brilliant polyglot in a world on the precipice of World War II.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? — A sense of history and how it molds our own characters and destinies, beginning at a young, impressionable age.

4. How did you decide on your book’s cover and cover design? — Every day begins with a new dawn that can portend what is to come, good or bad.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers—other than run! — Never stop working. Mistakes and obstacles are a normal part of life that shouldn’t be ignored but turned into lessons-learned.

6. What trends in the book world do you see … and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? — The book world will go on forever in print because simply because it doesn’t require high-tech—daylight or a candle will do. I suspect that much technology will be devoted to “books” of all sorts, but people don’t like being shorted by a dead battery.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? — Definitely. My background in electrical engineering and medicine imparted an indelible understanding of human condition.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? — My style (I sincerely hope) is nuanced without being pedantic—to the point, but full of subtext and character-driven. I enjoyed the style of Jody Picoult but the stories of John Grisham even more.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book. — Five years of research on WWII. I wanted the book to be accurate while remaining entertaining.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? — Character drives life’s story. Because “The past is prologue,” a sense of history renders a semblance of order to the chaos of contemporary life.

About The Author: I’ve been writing fiction for more than twenty years. My background in engineering and medicine enhanced my interest in the power of words, the symbols on a page that can inform, entertain, create, convey or injure as well as heal. Glenda Paal & The Devil’s Dawn is my third published novel. My other two works are the mysteries The Santero, and The Sandman that was featured in KIRKUS REVIEWS.

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Tuesday, May 7, 2024

The Author’s EdgeTo Sell More Books

What do you use, do, or call upon to sell your book, to market yourself, and to get more exposure for your message?

Everyone can or should rely on one or more attribute or characteristic to persuade others of what they want. Oh, you don’t know what wins people over?

Ok, survey this checklist:

* Humor — This part of your personality can get you far. Make another laugh and they will be friendly towards you. They feel disarmed and open themselves to your message.

* Looks — We all gravitate towards good-looking or sexy people. No secret there. Dress for the part. Does someone want to be you — or with you? If you look sloppy, dirty, outdated, or like someone a reader/customer can’t relate to, you simply won’t connect or bond.

* Content — It helps if your book is really good and if the content of your message sounds interesting, useful, intriguing, inspiring, entertaining, informative or something positive.

* Substance — Come off as a person of depth and substance. People can be drawn to intelligent people.

* Mannerisms — Give off a positive, friendly vibe in how you comport yourself.

* Vocabulary — How you speak and the level of words used will definitely impact how people see you.

* Speed — Be quick to respond or assert yourself. This shows attentiveness and energy.

* Voice — The strength, melody, clarity, pitch, accent, and the loudness of your voice play a big role in whether people even want to listen to what you have to say.

* Energy Given Off— Are people feeling it when they talk to you? They need to. Show some passion and excitement.

* Charity Connection — People like to buy from it work with people who support a charity that they identify with.

* Compassion — Be kind and display an understanding or empathy for others.

* Display Logic, Knowledge, and Capability — If you sound competent or smart, many readers are drawn to you.

* Listen — This is a skill everyone should have.

* Innovate — Show that you have ideas and can do new things, or old things differently.

* Speak To Their Needs, Wants, Goals, and Desires — Show that you understand them, care about what they care about, and relate to their dreams.

* Ask Questions — Show an interest in them and learn what you need to know in order to effectively persuade a potential customer to buy your book. Ask lots of questions. Assume nothing.

* Confidence — Build trust and faith by exuding confidence in word, deed, verbal posture, and physical stance.

* Use Stats, Surveys, & Facts — Providing real, substantive information can be persuasive.

* Imagine What-Ifs — When you can visualize an alternate world, you begin to ask questions and contemplate what could be. In doing so, you get closer to making it so.

* Conviction — A look in your eyes and the determined sound in your voice must convey conviction and confidence.

* Story-Telling — If you can share interesting or funny or shocking stories in a condensed way, you will draw people in.

* Charm — People like to do business with people they like and whom like them. Turn on the charm and let your charisma shine.

* Share Your Accomplishments Matter-of-Factly — No bragging, but do convey your skills, competency and accomplishments to reassure people you are exactly whom they need to talk to.

* Cite Third-Party Validation — Have you won any awards or received positive reviews from prominent sources? Tell us!

* Say Relatable Things On A Humanistic Level — You may not want to delve into controversial areas such as politics, race, religion, or sex, unless it is relevant to your book, but do discuss common connectors — sports, weather, pets — and discuss things like love and death that all people can connect to. Play it safe and only discuss the shared values that are universally accepted.

* Come Off As Honest — No one wants to deal with a liar. Show integrity and moral fiber.

* Favor Offer— Do you offer a discount, freebie, or some other favor if they buy your book?

* Connect Your Content To Their Circumstances, Needs, or Desires — Look to connect what you offer as being what they need or want. If it is non-fiction, state what benefits you offer, how you enhance their lot, which problems you solve, or how you help avert negative things from happening. If it’s fiction, how will your book make us think or feel — or both. Does it help us escape our world, make us laugh, help us psychologically, or do something else?

* Show Concern For, Or Even Praise, The Other — Act as if you were their friend. Show a concern for whatever they seem to be concerned about. Praise something about, or show an appreciation for, them. You can admire anything, from their jewelry and sunglasses to their voice, enthusiasm, or smart thinking.

* Mention Interesting Hobbies — Either they will appreciate that you share common interests or they will find what you like fascinating, hopefully.

* Show A Common Background — reference something that relates to geography, schooling, job, experience, race, gender, age, religion, or sports teams — whatever bonds people together.

As you can see, there are dozens of things that you can say or share that will warm others up to you, get them interested in your book, and endear yourself to them. You have all of the tools that you need to sell a book — you!

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Monday, May 6, 2024

Interview With Graham Austin Dix

1. What inspired you to write this book? I love time travel stories. My favourite is probably Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time-Traveller’s Wife, where time travel is shown more as a disability, than as a cool superpower. I wanted to find an original form of time travel and came up with two people who share the same soul. Of course, there have been body swap books and films before, but as far as I am aware, not across time and space. I have always been fascinated by tales of reincarnation. Not being religious, I wondered whether there might be a scientific explanation for why so many people claim to remember past lives. I love books about physics and cosmology. Putting these together, I realised that one possible explanation might be quantum entanglement. Out of that mix came Our Future Selves, a body-swap love story across two centuries and two continents.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? It tells the story of Zak Emblin, a comedian from Birmingham, England in the present day and Sarah Templeman, a prison service doctor from 22nd century New Palm Springs, USA, who are connected across time by a shared soul. From childhood onwards they inexplicably find themselves in each other’s bodies. We experience with them the obstacles they have to overcome, every day, because of this condition, such as finding you now have breasts or a penis and the reflection you see looking back at you from the mirror is someone you don’t know. Or not being believed by anyone. That’s where the third main character, Carmen Fry comes in. She is a brilliant young quantum physicist researching reincarnation stories to support her theory that recent discoveries in quantum entanglement might provide an explanation. She meets Zak, and through him, Sarah. She believes them and uses their case in her research. A tight bond develops between Zak, Carmen and Sarah because they are the only three people in the world (they think) who know the truth about reincarnation. A unique love triangle develops. Word gets out to the world’s media about Carmen’s research. She, Zak and Sarah face persecution until a mysterious US government department steps in to ‘help’ them. This book is written for curious people. If you do not accept the world around you at face value and often find yourself wondering ‘what if?’ then this book is for you. Time travel fans and those fascinated by reincarnation will engage with this story, but it can also be read as a straight romance or political thriller.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? An adventure. A thrilling journey. Perhaps enlightenment. I hope they will come away from it asking questions.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The cover was not easy, but I am really pleased with it. I needed an image to get across the idea of two people who are closer to each other than the rest of us can ever be, because they have intimate knowledge of each other’s thoughts and bodies. Yet at the same time, they can never meet, because when Zak is in Sarah’s body, she is in his. This concept also needed to be captured on the cover. I can’t draw, so I sketched out the idea to the publisher’s illustrator and between us we came up with a cover which, judging from feedback, works really well. The title was harder. An earlier online version of the novel, which has since been substantially revised, was called Future Echoes. But this is inaccurate. In Our Future Selves, Sarah is not an echo of someone else, but a fully rounded individual. So, I changed it to Our Future Selves which is more optimistic, while still hinting at time travel. The ‘Selves’ is a hint that any of us might, like Zak and Sarah, share a soul with someone.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

Keep writing. It is better to be writing rubbish sometimes than to not be writing at all and risk losing the habit. The more you write the better you will get and the more ideas you will have.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? More people writing, which is good. More people reading, which is better. On the negative side, I see an increased (linked) threat from plagiarism and AI generated content.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Absolutely. I have used my own experience of being bullied at school for Zak’s far worse torments. And he deals with it much better than I did, so writing this section was cathartic for me. And the evil Commander Eleanor Levy is a mash-up of all the bad managers I had to deal with during my career as a librarian. (In case any of my former library bosses read this, I should point out that there were some good ones, too!).

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? All of us writers like to think that we have our own style! However, thematically, I am influenced by Philip K Dick (The Adjustment Team, Minority Report), Andy Weir (The Martian) and David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas). For character development, dialog and corrupt authority figures I try to channel my inner John Grisham. For short, digestible chapters, I am influenced by Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveller’s Wife and Helen Fitzgerald’s The Cry.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? In the first few years of writing, I was still working full-time in a university library. Finding time to write at all was difficult during this period. Staying on top of the chronology was a self-inflicted challenge. One of the novel’s themes is the uncertainty of the concepts of past and future. In keeping with this idea, I decided not to present events to the reader in the order in which they happened. To achieve this, I had to create a timeline in my notes to make sure that events which caused other events did not take place after those events.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Where else would you get a body-swap triumph-over-adversity tale; time travel; a love triangle romance; a quantum entanglement explanation for reincarnation; and original stand-up comedy routines, all in one place? Or because this book will make you “challenge the nature of reality”, as one reviewer put it.

About The Author: I write science fiction novels and children's picture books. One of each has so far been published, Our Future Selves and Dan the Lollipop Man. Writing has always been my vocation, but I have also had a career as a Librarian and studied languages. I speak Russian, German and French. My brother and I were brought up as twins, but we later discovered that we were really triplets. I hope to write a novel one day (Third Twin?) about our lost sibling, who did not survive childbirth, and what might have happened to them, had they lived. I love Cosmology, classical music, rock music, football (soccer) and comedy (particularly puns). You can find more on Instagram: @dix.graham

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